Each rear wheel of a truck consists of a cylindrical section to which a tire is secured and a generally planer section transverse to one end of the cylindrical section. The planar section is adapted to be attached to the hub of a truck axle with the cylindrical section extending outwardly therefrom with the inside of the cylindrical section of the wheel being visible from outside of the truck.
To enhance the exterior appearance of the rear wheels of trucks, wheel liners are provided which fit within the tubular section of the wheel. Wheel liners in accordance with the prior art have a planar web section that rests against the planar section of the wheel and a tubular section which extends across the width of the cylindrical section of the wheel to the outermost lip. In accordance with the prior art, the web sections of such wheel liners have a plurality of transverse holes which can be aligned to fit over a plurality of studs used to retain the wheels to the axles. The lug nuts, which attach to the studs to retain the wheel to the axle, also retain the wheel liner.
The wheels of certain trucks must be inspected from time to time to insure that the metal portion of the wheel adjacent the retaining lug nuts has not deteriorated. Where a wheel liner is attached by the same lug nuts that retain the truck wheel, the wheel liner must be removed to inspect the wheel. However, 400 to 450 ft.-lbs. of torque are required to properly secure such lug nuts, and the removal and replacement of such lug nuts therefore requires a high impact air compressor. It is therefore difficult and time consuming to inspect a wheel with a liner attached to the lug nuts thereof. Furthermore, although truck wheels are available in given diameters, different manufacturers of truck wheels have different widths for the tubular portion of the truck wheel, such that suppliers of wheel covers in accordance with the prior art must maintain an expensive inventory which requires a substantial storage space. Alternately, adjustable wheel covers are available which have first and second tubular portions which telescope one within the other as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,881. Existing adjustable wheel covers, however, are attachable to the lug nuts retaining the wheel to the axle as previously described. It would therefore be desirable to provide a wheel cover which will fit within a variety of widths of wheels for a given diameter and not require an attachment to the lug nuts.